


storms and kettles and awkward friendships

by saradathesalad



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Era, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Kettle Hate, Multi, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Period-Typical Homophobia, Pining, Trans Male Character, Trans Racetrack Higgins, davey and spot are bros, davey and spot pine after their respective fools, davey is particularly confused, i forgot daveys dads name so it is now paul, its not a lot of angst i dont think but who am i to judge such things, much to the confusion of everyone but spot, their respective fools pine back
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-21 21:03:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14922788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saradathesalad/pseuds/saradathesalad
Summary: David Jacobs and Spot Conlon's unlikely friendship started the evening Spot ended up on the wrong side of the Brooklyn Bridge on a stormy night. Of course, David wasn't about to let Spot die, so offering him a place to stay for the night was only natural. The consequences of his actions, though, were completely unexpected by all.





	storms and kettles and awkward friendships

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to write something really angsty but I wasn't feeling it and instead wrote this, so enjoy spot and davey bonding over fools and mutual hatred of kettles

Spot Conlon wasn’t known for making friends, let alone friends that weren’t from Brooklyn. Racetrack had been the lone exception for a long time, but Racetrack was an exception everywhere. But nobody had expected for him to make friends with the new Manhattan newsie that helped them win their strike, David Jacobs.

There was many things that caused this friendship to be unlikely. The fact that the two live in different boroughs. The fact that Davey was exactly the kind of person Spot typically avoided. Spot becoming friends with David Jacobs was unexpected. But Spot Conlon wasn’t one to play along with people’s expectations.

The friendship began one snowy evening when Spot was in Manhattan to discuss some ‘business’ with Jack (said ‘business’ tended to involve poker and other such card games with the Manhattan newsies) and completely lost track of time. By the time he had realized how late it was, the sun was already completely set and the snow was coming down hard. He had to leave.

He told the newsies this and was met with many complaints, ‘It’s too dangerous’ being the common thread.

“I really can’t stay,” Spot informed them, already halfway out the window, “I have my own people that I gotta look after.”

“Ya ain’t gonna be any use to them dead, Spot,” Racetrack exclaimed.

Spot narrowed his eyes at him irritably. He needed to get going. The faster he left the faster he could get back to his people, but the damn guys were refusing to cooperate. Before Spot could start yelling, Davey interrupted, “It’s okay, I’ll walk with him until my place, it’s on the way to Brooklyn Bridge anyway,” he said whilst walking towards the window Spot was at.

Seeing no other way to convince the newsies that he would be fine, Spot nodded in agreement.

“That seems like a fair compromise,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess,” Racetrack grumbled, his face twisted into a frown.

Davey grinned at Spot as he reached the window and motioned for him to get out of the way. The two stood on the fire escape as they said their goodbyes. The other newsies seemed to have been placated by Davey’s idea, but Racetrack still seemed to be upset. Spot wasn’t happy leaving with Race upset with him, but he had no time to assuage his fears and instead followed Davey down the fire escape and on to the road.

The duo walked in silence for a while, the snow falling around them creating a feeling of enchantment that neither wanted to break. It was cold and Spot was barely keeping from shivering and turning back to the lodging house, but his pride kept him going. 

After a while, the silence began to gnaw at Spot and he decided to strike up a conversation with his companion. For a moment he had no idea what to say before he settled on asking about the absence of his brother.

“Where’s your brother?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“Parents wouldn’t let him go out today, said it was too cold for it to be safe for him,” was David’s response. 

He didn’t sound all that interested in conversation, so Spot ended it with an “Oh,” before allowing the silence of before to wash over him.

Upon reaching Davey’s tenement, Spot was basically frozen. He had given up the pretense of warmth around the same time he had stopped feeling his legs. There was no way he was going to make it across the bridge, especially with the wind picking up. He wanted nothing more than to turn around and go back to the Manhattan lodging house, but even that was too dangerous a journey to take alone.

Davey either hadn’t noticed his plight or chose not to comment on it. Either way, Spot wasn’t about to ask him to walk him back to the lodging house and put himself in danger. They stopped in front of the building and Davey turned towards Spot, looking troubled.

“You can stay with my family tonight, you know,” Davey told Spot suddenly, the statement throwing him off guard.

“What?” Spot asked incredulously. Why would Davey allow him, a person he barely knew, to sleep in the same area as his family?

“You look freezing and your chances of making it across the Brooklyn Bridge were small even before the wind picked up, but now they’re practically non-existent. Walking back to the lodging house in your state will also likely land up with you dead and I’d rather you not kill yourself over your pride. So, do you want to stay with my family tonight?” Davey informed him, staring at him, waiting for an answer.

Spot considered his options. Option one- continue on his current path across the Brooklyn Bridge and likely die. Preferably not. Option two- risk going back to the lodging house and likely die before reaching it with nobody around to help him. Again, not all that attractive. Option three- accept David’s offer to stay the night, not die and be warm. His choice was clear.

“Yeah. I don’t think I want to risk certain death today,” Spot said in what could be interpreted as a joking tone.

“Well,” Davey began in a similar tone, “It would be preferable if you didn’t want to risk certain death any day, but who am I to judge?”

Spot snorted at him response, not expecting the supposedly high-strung boy to be so casual with such topics. The duo stood in front of the building for a moment longer before Spot decided it was far too cold to be outside.

“Is going inside an option right now?” Spot asked teasingly.

Davey jolted out of whatever reverie he’d managed to fall into in the few moment they’d been standing there and flushed. “Of course, come on,” he said embarrassedly, gesturing towards the building. 

The two made their way to Davey’s home in silence. Upon reaching the door, David pulled out a set of keys and unlocked it. Pulling the door open, Spot was momentarily shocked by the warmth and light of the room. Davey made his way inside, gesturing for Spot to follow him, which he did.

Davey’s mother and father were sitting in chairs reading books, Les and a girl who was presumably Davey’s sister were sleeping- sharing a bed, likely for warmth. 

“Hello Davey, how was your day?” Davey’s mother asked.

“It was good mom, how was yours?” he replied, the response a habit.

“It was nice,” She said, looking up from her book. She caught sight of Spot and looked shocked for a moment before smiling at him. “And who’s this?”

“This is Spot,” Davey told her, “He’s a newsie from Brooklyn, but it’s too dangerous for him to go across the bridge or go back to the Manhattan lodging house so I offered to let him stay here.”

Spot momentarily wondered if Davey’s mother would kick him out before she smiled at him and said, “Of course, of course! I assume you two had dinner with the others already?”

“Yes, we have,” Spot told her awkwardly, “And thank you for letting me stay here, I didn’t realise how bad the weather was when I left the lodging house.”

“It’s no problem, any friend of David is welcome here,” Davey’s father exclaimed from his chair. 

“Oh, where are my manners,” Davey’s mother exclaimed, “I’m Esther and this is Paul.”

“Oh, uh, Spot Conlon,” Spot replies, trying and failing at suppressing a yawn.

Esther smiled at them. “You two must be tired,” she said, “I think it’s time for all of us to go to bed.”

“Indeed, it is quite late. Wonder why we were kept up waiting, hmm David?” Paul said teasingly, standing up from his chair and making his way to his room. Davey looked embarrassed.

“Don’t be mean, dear,” Esther scolded her husband, also making her way to her room. “Goodnight you two,” she said over her shoulder.

“Goodnight mom, dad.”  
“Goodnight Mr and Mrs Jacobs.”

“Goodnight boys,” Paul replied from the room, before closing the door.

They stood in silence for a moment before David gestured towards one of the unoccupied beds. “We can share, or you can sleep alone,” he told Spot.

“Whatever’s warmer. I’m freezing,” was Spot’s reply.

“Sharing it is then,” Davey muttered to himself. “Would you like to borrow some dry clothes?” 

“Yes, that would be great.”

Davey offered Spot clothes and gestured to the bathroom, which Spot headed towards immediately. He changed as fast as possible, wanting to get to bed quickly. He emerged to find Davey waiting at the door. 

“I’m just going to get changed quickly, make yourself comfortable,” he told Spot ,gesturing towards the bed farthest from the window. He who proceeded to do just that, climbing under the covers of the bed, which were much warmer and comfier than he was used to, and lying in silence.

David emerged not long after and switched off all the lights before making his way to the bed and climbing under the covers. The duo lay back-to-back, both exhausted.

“Thanks for letting me stay here,” Spot said again.

“No problem. What are friends for, right?” was Davey’s reply.

“Yeah. Night, Mouth,” Spot said, receiving no reply. To his shock, Davey had already fallen asleep. 

“Friends, huh? Okay then,” Spot muttered to himself, before falling asleep.

Although neither of them knew it yet, that was just the beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> the real bonding will begin next chapter


End file.
